Bethany Takes Down Thiel for 3rd Consecutive Win

Dec. 8 -BETHANY, W.Va. – Senior Carly Garneau (Beaver Creek, Ohio/Carroll) led five scorers in double figures with a career-high 20 points, as the Bethany College women’s basketball team blasted Thiel 76-47 to run its winning streak to three straight.

The Tomcats scored the opening bucket of the day, but it was answered by consecutive threes from Garneau (right) and junior Taylor Verrico (Monaca, Pa./Quigley) and the Bison (4-5, 2-2) were off and running. Garneau and Verrico would both hit another trey and freshman Brianna Nuzum (Morgantown, W.Va.) hit for five during BC’s 19-4 burst to open the game. Despite not scoring over the final 2:36 of the half, the Bethany defense, which held Thiel to just 29 percent shooting in the first half, allowed only four points over that stretch and the Bison went to halftime with a 34-21 lead.

Thiel (2-7, 1-3) managed to hang around for the first couple minutes of the second half, but the Bison opened the flood gates again for a 16-2 run. Senior Kayla Taormina (Center Twp., Pa./Quigley) scored six during the charge, Garneau had five and when junior Skylar Williams (Jefferson Hills, Pa./Thomas Jefferson) buried a three with 12:54 to play, the Bison were in front 55-29.

The BC offense continued to click throughout the second half, as the Green and White finished the afternoon with a season-high 10 three-pointers. Freshman Sami Schott (Caldwell, Ohio/Shenandoah) closed the scoring with a traditional three-point play with six seconds left to give the Bison their 29-point win, the largest by a Bethany team since a 72-28 triumph over Franciscan in Nov. 2006.

Leading the scoring barrage was Garneau, who reset her career high for the second time this season. She cashed in four three-pointers on her way to 20 markers. Verrico had a strong game with 13 points and eight rebounds and a trio of Bison scored 10 each, including Taormina, Nuzum and freshman Mikyla Tipton (Wellsville, Ohio). In addition to the 10 points in her first collegiate start, Tipton (right) grabbed eight rebounds, as Bethany posted a 48-35 rebounding advantage.

The lone Tomcat to hit for double figures in the game was Kelly Barzak with 17.

Bethany is done with PAC games until after the holiday break, but will close out the first semester schedule with two non-conference tilts this week. First up is a road game at Mount Aloysius (Pa.) College Monday night at 7 p.m.